Toby Osborne's command of the lively international and multi-lingual scholarship on the history of early modern Rome is unsurpassed. His work stands out both for the synthesis he offers to the English-speaking reader and for charting new vistas on how the city, in the wake of the crisis of the Reformation, developed into the trend-setting court capital of Europe and proverbial 'theatre of the world'. Contextualising the papal rulers within the wider social and cultural framework of the European society of princes, his elegantly written study puts the spotlight not on Church history but on how, thanks to the shared foundations of court culture, Italian elites as well as local and international audiences performed the papal monarchy and transformed the cityscape of Rome.

Nicole Reinhardt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

A lucid and insightful work that expertly contextualises the papal court alongside secular monarchies. Osborne's treatment of diplomacy and ceremonial breaks new ground while remaining thoroughly accessible.

Miles Pattenden, University of Oxford

This long-awaited study draws upon the author's command of primary and secondary material in half a dozen languages. A leading authority on the history of early modern diplomacy, Osborne explains clearly and compellingly what was distinctive about the papacy at a crucial period in its history and how it made the city of Rome into the 'theatre of the world'; a legacy which captivates visitors to this day.

Simon Ditchfield, University of York